Lint strainer



L. J. WUBBE LINT STRAINER Nov. 20, 1951 Y 2 SHEETSr-SHEET 1 Filed April 9, 1948 INVEN i OR.v X60 II VaZ/ e,

Nov. 20, 1951 J. wuBBE LINT STRAINER 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed April 9, 1948 INVENTOR. r Wei/ e,

Patented Nov. 20, 1951 LINT STRAINER Leo J. Wubbe, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Horton Manufacturing Company, Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 9, 1948, Serial No. 20,072

4 Claims.

This invention generally relates to clothes washing machines and more particularly pertains to a new and improved lint strainer or trap for separating lint, buttons and/or small articles from the used wash water before it enters the pump or drain of the machine. When clothes are washed in a machine, a certain amount of the fibre comes away from the cloth and is suspended in the water, the amount of fibre loosened generally being determined by the type of cloth. The ordinary washing machine pump can handle small amounts of fine clothes fibre such as from mens shirts, but large amounts or accumulations of fibre such as that from hooked bathroom rugs, etc. will cause the pump to clog and stop operating.

Also, in the operation of a washing machine it is possible for a small article such as a handkerchief or a babys sock to enter the drain of the machine and jam the pump.

If a trap or strainer is interposed between the tub and the pump, the lint and other matter can be eliminated from the water going to the discharge pump and be removed from the trap later with no damage to the pump and without loss of articles or stoppage of the washing machine.

It is therefore a general object of the inven- I tion to provide a new and improved lint trap or strainer for washing machines of the type having a pump and/or drain valve for ejecting the used wash water from the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lint trap or strainer for a washing machine having a new and improved attachment to the sealing cover of the device.

Another object is to provide a lint trap or strainer for a washing machine having a new and improved leading end for cooperating with the wall of the drain chamber.

A further object is to provide a lint trap or strainer for a washing machine that has a free floating connection at the sealing cover to the drain chamber so that the position of the strainer does not affect the position of the sealing cover.

These and other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description, theappended claims and the attached drawings which show a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a washing machine equipped with the invention with the side cover panel, tub and clothes receptacle of the machine being partially broken away to show the position of the invention on the machine.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the lower left portion of the washing machine as viewed from the front with the door to the opening in the front panel adjacent the lint trap being partially broken away to show the device of the present invention in its location behind the door in the panel.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the invention taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the device taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view illustrating an alternate form of the invention showing a flexible connection between the sealing cap and the lint strainer with the strainer being cone shaped and the large end of the cone being first insertable in the machine.

Referring to Fig. l, washing machine 20 is provided with a water retaining tub 2| having a drain opening 22 in the bottom thereof surrounded by flat annular reinforcing flange 23 on the inside thereof. A die cast drain housing 24 having a flat annular flange 25 is adapted to be secured to the tub 2| by bolts 26 and seals the opening 22. The other end of the housing 24 is sealed by a cap 21 forming part of my improved lint trap and held in sealing relation by toggle clamp 28 pivotally mounted on the cap 21 and tension member 29 pivotally mounted on the housing 24. Suitable gaskets are employed between the various members to insure that no liquid in the machine escapes at the joints.

Leading from the underside of the housing 24 is an annular member or tube 30 which is connected to hose 3! leading to the wash water discharge valve and pump, not shown. Front panel 32 of the washing machine is provided with door 33 hingedly mounted at 34 to enable the door 33 to swing outwardly of the machine thereby permitting the user to reach inside the front panel 32 and remove the cap 21 from the housing 24 by releasing the toggle clamp 28.

A valve, not shown, is disposed in the line between the housing 24 and the wash water discharge pump which holds the water in the tub and which releases the water from the tub to the pump to discharge same. The valve may be automatically operated in coordination with the automatic wash cycle of the machine by automatic transmission 48. A clothes receptacle or cylinder 50 is mounted for rotation in the tub 2| and is preferably driven by the transmission 48 via belt 5| first in one direction then in the other to effect the washing action of the machine.

My improved lint trap is adapted to be disposed within the housing 24 and comprises a perforated member 40 loosely attached to the inner surface of the cap 21 by disc member 4| Which is attached to the cap 21 by rivets 42 or other suitable means such as welding.

The perforate member 40 is cylindrical in shape and carries on outwardly turned flange 43 at its leading end which is slightly smaller in external diameter than the internal diameter of the housing 24 while the other end of the perforate member 4|] and the cap 21 have interlocking portions comprising an inwardly turned flange or tabs 44 on the perforate member which lie between raised annular rim 45 on the disc 4| and the cap, thereby loosely attaching the perforate member 40 to housing 24 by the perforate member 40 or 48A.

the cap 21 and allowing the inwardly turned flange or tabs '44 to move freely between the cap 21 and the rim 45 but connecting the perforate member and cap together so that they may be removed as a unit.

An optional form of the device is seen in Fig. 5 wherein the perforate member 49A is of truncated cone shape with the smaller end 60 thereof pivotally connected to the cap 2! by the pin 5| which is inserted in relatively larger holes in the end 60 so that the perforate member 42A is flexibly attached to the cap 21. The pin 6| is carried by clevis 62 which is secured to the cap 27 by rivet 42. Flange 43A is slightly smaller incliameter than the internal diameter of the housing 24.

In operation, the machine is loaded with clothes and soap and set in motion by the operator. In the particular example shown; transmission 48 fills the tub with water approximately to the level of bro-ken line 49 and also turns cylinder 5|] first in one direction and then in the other causing the clothes in the cylinder 5|) to tumble in both directions which action removes the dirt from the clothes. This washing action also separates some lint from the clothes. After the clothes have been Washed, the transmission 48 opens the valve in the drain line" to the pump and the water in the tub 2| is evacuated by the pump.

In draining, the water leaves the tub 2| and enters the housing 24 in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 3 and as the flange 43 or 43A on the perforate member as or 40A allows only a very small amount of water to pass between the flange and the housing 24, the main body of water flows into the perforate member, through the perforations in the side walls thereof and into the tube as to the pump via the hose 3!.

Any particles of lint or accumulations of lint or articles that may have fallen between the tub 2| and the cylinder 5| in loading the machine 23, will flow with the water into the perforate member 46 or 42A which will allow. the water to pass through the perforations therein, but which will not allow the lint or articles, to pass. Of course the perforations in the member are sufficiently large to allow small individual pieces of fibre or lint to pass as these will not affect the pump but will go through the same as-liquid.

After the machine has finished its cycle of washing the clothes the operator opens the door 33, releases the toggle clamp 22 and removes the cap 27 from the housing 24 which also removes the perforate member 40 or 42A from the housing24. The operator then removes the lint and foreign matter from the interior of the perforate Conversely, if the perforate member was fixedly secured to the cap 21, the flange 43 could jam against the housing 24 and prevent the cap from seating in sealing relationship with the housing 24. Also, if then, the flange was more loosely fitted within the housing 24 to prevent jamming, large pieces of lint and accumulations of lint and small articles could pass be tween the flange 43 and the housing 24 and clog the valve or pump thus defeating the use of the lint trap or strainer.

In other words, the flange 43 or 43A fitsso closely to the housing 24 that no objectionable matter can pass therebetween and the perforate member is so loosely fitted to the cap 2'! that no tilting of the cap 21 in relation to the housing 24 can result from the perforate member tipping the cap 21. The cap 21 is thus allowed to freely find a sealing seat on the housing 24.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as many changes may be made in the device without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim? 1. A combined sealing cap and lint trap for sealing the open end of the drain housing of a washing machine or the like for separating the lint from the wash water passing therethrough, comprising a cap adapted to seal the open end of the drain housing, a disc fixedly attached to the inside of said cap, a raised marginal rim on said disc, a perforate cylindrical member of substantially smaller diameter than said housing, and inwardly bent tabs on one end of said member adapted to lie loosely between said cap and said raised rim thereby flexibly attaching said perforate member to said cap.

2. A combined sealing cap and lint trap for sealing the open end of the drain housing of a washing machine for separating the lint from the wash water passing therethrough, comprising a cap adapted to seal the open'end of the drain housing, a disc fixedly attached to the inside of said cap, a raised marginal rim on said disc, a perforate cylindrical member of substantially smaller diameter than said housing, inwardly bent tabs on one end of said member adapted to lie loosely between said cap and said raised rim thereby flexibly attaching said perforate member slightly smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of said housing, a cap adapted to seal the open end of said housing, inwardly disposed tabs on the other end of said perforate member, a disc fixedly secured to the inside of said cap, and a raised rim on said disc providing an area between said rim and said cap for receiving said tabs thereby loosely securing said perforate member to said cap.

4. A lint trap assembly for a washing machine having a drain housing provided with an open end, comprising an elongated perforate member insertible through said open end into the drain housing and having a supporting portion engageable with the interior of the drain housing, a cap adapted to seat in sealing relation with said open end, and loosely interlocking supports on said member and said cap connecting said member and said cap together for removal as a unit and providing for limited relative movement therebetween to prevent the engagement of said supporting portion with the interior of the drain housing from holding the cap out of sealing relation with the open end.

LEO J. WUBBE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 5 2,199,792 Haberstump May '7, 1940 2,201,790 Rouch May 2-1, 1940 2,343,743 Breckenridge Mar. '7, 1944 2,360,278 Robertson Oct. 10, 1944 2,413,954 Conterman Jan. 7, 1947 

